What's in your glass tonight?

[roger80465]

I backsweetened, but only to 1.002. I was just trying to bring a little flavor back into it. It is still pretty dry with a nice oak touch.
Another gallon I made without oak I backsweetened to 1.008. It is really good and you can really taste the flavor better I think.
FYI I am a dry red wine drinker but do enjoy the 1.008 version too.

Thanks for the response. 1.002 seems about right to me but I just wasn't sure how that would age. Sounds like it does pretty well.

I should have asked this the first time but what kind of oak did you use? I have added about an ounce of american medium stick (about 1 month) and just added another ounce of french medium chips. I don't want to overwhelm the wine but I want to round out the flavors a bit. Thanks for your help.

 

[wineforfun]

I should have asked this the first time but what kind of oak did you use?

Roger,
Let me check my notes to be sure. I believe it was a medium French but not positive. I will post back tomorrow.

 

[wineforfun]

Thanks for the response. 1.002 seems about right to me but I just wasn't sure how that would age. Sounds like it does pretty well.

I should have asked this the first time but what kind of oak did you use? I have added about an ounce of american medium stick (about 1 month) and just added another ounce of french medium chips. I don't want to overwhelm the wine but I want to round out the flavors a bit. Thanks for your help.

Roger,
Checked my notes and I used 1 oz. of Medium French Oak chips. Put them in just enough water to cover them, heated them up in the microwave, drained off water and then added chips to carboy. I left them in there for 3 weeks.

It has a decent oak taste but not big like a dry red. If I do it again, I will either a. leave them in longer or b. go with a Heavy oak.

 

[roger80465]

Roger,
Checked my notes and I used 1 oz. of Medium French Oak chips. Put them in just enough water to cover them, heated them up in the microwave, drained off water and then added chips to carboy. I left them in there for 3 weeks.

It has a decent oak taste but not big like a dry red. If I do it again, I will either a. leave them in longer or b. go with a Heavy oak.

Thank you for checking on this. I added 1 Oz French medium chips after putting them in my 'corkador' for a couple hours. We'll see how it works. I'm checking it every couple days. Thanks again for your help.

 

[roger80465]

Roger,
Checked my notes and I used 1 oz. of Medium French Oak chips. Put them in just enough water to cover them, heated them up in the microwave, drained off water and then added chips to carboy. I left them in there for 3 weeks.

It has a decent oak taste but not big like a dry red. If I do it again, I will either a. leave them in longer or b. go with a Heavy oak.

BTW, it is my understanding that 3 weeks is enough to extract everything an oak chip has to offer. So quantity or type of oak may be more beneficial than time. Just a thought.

 

[wineforfun]

BTW, it is my understanding that 3 weeks is enough to extract everything an oak chip has to offer. So quantity or type of oak may be more beneficial than time. Just a thought.

You're welcome.

FYI I don't know that I mentioned this anywhere but my 1 oz. was added to a 1 gal. carboy.

Thanks for the tip on the "3 week oaking". I will keep that in mind.

 

[Enologo]

The Real Deal

Now this was the real deal. 30 bucks. Not cheap to me but so good. Now I have something to shoot for. I could drink (not buy) this all the time.

 

[Boatboy24]

Looks like your first Amarone experience was similar to mine. I just fell in love.

$30 is a good price. Keep an eye on WTSO.com. They will often have Amarone for $25. But most of what I see in stores starts at $40 or $50.

 

[sour_grapes]

Looks like your first Amarone experience was similar to mine. I just fell in love.

$30 is a good price. Keep an eye on WTSO.com. They will often have Amarone for $25. But most of what I see in stores starts at $40 or $50.

I don't know if I was blessed or cursed. My first Amarone was one that I won at a charity event. They had about 100 bottles of wine in brown paper bags. You paid $20 and got a bottle of wine. Most of the 100 bottles were plonk, with a couple winners. I got a winner -- a $75 bottle of Amarone. It was divine; hands down, the best wine I have ever experienced in my life. I essentially went into this hobby as a way to make "bad Amarone for small money."

 

[Boatboy24]

I don't know if I was blessed or cursed. My first Amarone was one that I won at a charity event. They had about 100 bottles of wine in brown paper bags. You paid $20 and got a bottle of wine. Most of the 100 bottles were plonk, with a couple winners. I got a winner -- a $75 bottle of Amarone. It was divine; hands down, the best wine I have ever experienced in my life. I essentially went into this hobby as a way to make "bad Amarone for small money."

For slightly less damage to your wallet, you can get the Tomassi Valpolicella Ripasso. A 'baby Amarone', but still quite enjoyable. I get it for around $25.

 

[geek]

I really need to try a commercial Amarone, I remember seeing it at Costco for like $39.95.
I will probably buy one on my next visit there....

 

[ibglowin]

Whats in my Glass?

Something from this State!

[ame="https://vimeo.com/118872484"]https://vimeo.com/118872484[/ame]

 

[ibglowin]

Went out to dinner last night in Santa fe. Its "restaurant week" in the city different! Had a fantastic meal at a place called "Arroyo Vino". This is a restaurant/wineshop. The cool thing is you browse the wineshop and then you can have any bottle from the shop for retail plus a $20 corkage fee. The prices are NOT marked up, they are true retail so we had a FANTASTIC dinner with our BFF's and not one but two excellent bottles of wine with dinner.

We had a 2010 Andrew Will "Two Blondes" Vineyard Bordeaux blend from WA State which was fantastic and paired well with Flank steak but I think the hit of the night was the 2013 Belle Glos "Dairyman" Pinot Noir from the Russian River valley.

I didn't think that this wine would stand up to the steak but it more than held its own. It also paired perfectly with stuffed quail which several in our group had.

We loved both wines but the winner at the table was the Pinot. MSRP on the bottle is ~$40 and very well worth the greenbacks.

 

[Boatboy24]

Something from this State!

https://vimeo.com/118872484

That video makes you want to quit your job, move to Washington, grow grapes and make wine.

Or at least go to the store and buy something from there.

 

[ibglowin]

It does for me as well. We are headed up to Seattle for a wedding this Summer and are thinking we need to do another tour of Walla Walla!

 

[homesteader26]

concord grape made this past September from grapes picked from wild vines in NH. It is young, tart and drinkable. First tasting of 5 gallons I have bulk aging (this was for topping bit it looks like it topped hubby and I!!).

 

[Boatboy24]

@homesteader26: Not sure what grape that is, but the color is beautiful.

 

[homesteader26]

Boatboy Concords are one of the first wild grapes used for wine when the colonists landed in Plymouth MA. (At least that is what folk culture says!!). They grow wild here and have an amazing flavor. The deep purple color and flavor makes wonderful jelly as well!

 

[ibglowin]

Switching gears! Monk's Tripel Ale (9.2% ABV) made locally by the Abbey Beverage Company (Benedictine Monastery of Christ in the Desert. Brewed in Abiquiu, New Mexico)


Drink beer, and you will sleep well. Sleep well, and you will not sin. Avoid sin, and you will be saved. Ergo, drink beer and be saved.

 

[sour_grapes]

With brunch, I had a glass of Butternut Chardonnay. I know oaky butter bombs are not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoy them. (It paired well with brunch.) I also enjoy crisp, non-MLF Chards; to me, they are two different wines. Why can't I enjoy them both?